Thanks
by SLPikachu
Summary: What if Rory wasn't the only kid Luke had grown fond of? Rory and her mother weren't the only daily customers. There was another to cross Luke's path, every day for three years and somehow managed to go undetected from the town's gossip radar...


Thanks

Luke's had many customers over the years. One-timers just passing through the small town, to the daily customers who ate there every day. There were always a diverse of people both young and old, and with different backgrounds. But no matter who came through Luke's, they always left feeling welcomed. That was what kept the daily ones coming back. Despite the owner being a little grouchy at times, it was still a pleasant atmosphere, and as it turned out, an escape away from home.

Among the daily customers, Kodi stopped by every day. She was eight years old and had been coming by the diner since her family had moved to Stars Hollow. Despite it being a small town where everyone knew who you were, and where it took the latest gossip not that long to spread, what could be told about Kodi and her family were slim to none. The family never mingled with the rest of the town, keeping to themselves. That is, George and Krista didn't mingle.

Kodi always started her day by stopping by Luke's. The first day she stopped in after her family moved to town, that was the first place she visited. She had asked the backwards baseball cap and flannel-wearing man if he served cereal. When he told her he didn't, she asked what he did, which Luke suggested she'd wait for her parents. Pulling out some pocket change, the little girl told him her parents both worked and didn't have time to make her breakfast. Ever since then, Kodi had been having breakfast at Luke's, just as often as his other two regulars, Lorelai and Rory Gilmore.

Shortly after they met and Kodi started stopping there in the morning, the little girl started stopping by after school, in the afternoons, as well. She'd order a snack and work on her homework. Sometimes, she would even help out, restocking napkins and sweeping the floors. It had been three years, now and Kodi still came around every single day. Luke had grown fond of the kid, asking how school was and took an interest in her which seemed to turn the frown she sometimes had, upside down. Everyone tried to figure out the little girl, the whole family, actually. But the Asher family seemed to care a lot for privacy.

What seemed to bother Luke's mind was how often Kodi wore long sleeves, including during the summer. It wasn't an everyday occurrence, but every so often it happened. Here lately, though, it was starting to occur more often than it used to. The school year had barely started and fall wasn't quite here yet, and already Kodi was breaking out the long sleeved shirts.

"Aren't you hot in that shirt?" he questioned one afternoon when she stopped by.

"Nah, I'm good," she shrugged it off.

"Okay." Luke let it be, holding the coffee pot in his hand. "There's no empty seats, but you can sit at the counter for now."

"Thanks, Luke." Kodi thanked him and hurried over to grab a stool. Everything else had seemed at the normal for the rest of her stay and she left at four-thirty, sharp, just as she always done for the past three years. It had been strange to everyone how independent and mature that little girl was, even when she was only five years old. Now, here she was at eight, and just as independent and just as mature.

The following morning, Kodi didn't show at her usual time she normally did. Every day she had stopped by the diner at seven, on her way to school, and even on the weekends and breaks. But never was the little girl late.

When Kodi finally did arrive, she was wearing an old baseball cap, holding the bill of it down where it hid her face. She sped-walked up to the counter, asking for a danish to go, looking elsewhere but anyone else.

Luke stared at her, confused. "Why are you covering your face?" he asked.

"I, uh. No reason," she replied, shaking her head. "I think I'm starting to get pimples now."

"Then why are you covering your face? Everyone gets them, sooner or later. I'm sure it's not that bad."

"It's…It's pretty bad."

"I'm sure it's not. Come on. Let me see." Luke tried to make her show him, his fatherly side showing, but Kodi refused. She set the exact money on the counter before grabbing the danish and rushed out of there. When Kodi headed out the door, he couldn't help notice something beside her eye. Something dark.

After that morning, for the first time in three years, Kodi didn't show up around the diner. Quite frankly, it made Luke feel uneasy. Thankfully, by the next week, Kodi had returned, one day after school, without a baseball cap and nothing beside her eye.

"Where have you been?" Luke asked, coming by the table Kodi was sitting at. She was pulling her homework out of her backpack.

"Oh, you know. School, kid stuff, stuff like that."

"Sounds...busy," he replied, unsure what else to say. "So, what'll it be, today?"

"I skipped lunch, today, so I'm starving. Can I get a burger and fries, with a root beer?"

Luke smiled, writing her order, down. "Sure." He then walked away to place it. When Luke returned with her food, Kodi was busy on her homework. "One burger and fries, and one root beer."

Kodi stopped writing to grab one of the fries. "Thanks, Luke." He then asked how school was and listened to the kid talk about what she had learned recently on animals. Kodi was a huge animal lover and wanted to be a veterinarian when she grew up. It was amazing the stuff the kid knew about the animal kingdom, and Luke held onto each word.

Other customers came and went. Soon, four-thirty was upon them. Kodi hadn't budged from her seat to leave and the dinner rush was just about starting.

"Hey, uh, Kodi," Luke came back to her table. "It's after four-thirty."

Her head bolted up as if surprised. "Um...do you mind if I stay a little bit longer, today?"

"Well, you know you're always welcome for as long as you want, but I'm gonna need this table, sweetheart."

"Oh." Kodi hung her head, dejectedly, and began to pack up.

"I mean, if you want to stay, you can move to the counter." Luke had always been a softy when it came to kids, and found it hard to say no.

"Okay." Kodi thanked him, and moved her stuff over to the counter, climbing up onto the stool.

Soon, the dinner rush came through like a pack of hungry dogs. The diner was so noisy, it was hard for Kodi to focus on her homework. So she took a break and asked Luke if him and Caesar needed any help. Luke put her to work taking the food to the customers and clearing the tables for the next ones. By eight, the crowd had died down and only one or two customers remained. Waiting another hour, Luke finally decided to call it a night and close down.

Kodi offered to help clean up, getting the job done a lot sooner and Luke released Cesar sooner. With her backpack all packed up, Kodi said good night as she slipped it on her back.

"Since it's late, I'll give ya a ride home," Luke offered.

"No, it's okay. It's not that far," she tried to decline, politely.

"Kodi, it's dark out and you're eight years old. You shouldn't be out, alone."

"Come on, Luke. It's Stars Hollow. When has anything bad ever happen in this town?" Kodi tried to point out.

"Good point, but I'm not letting you walk home, alone." Luke wasn't changing his mind on this one. Not with the kid's safely on the line. Locking up, the two headed out to his truck and climbed in.

Kodi gave directions to her house, directing him to the back part of town as she talked his ear off about jaguars. He couldn't believe the kid walked every day to both school and to the diner, and she wanted to walk home, tonight? It was indeed far, at least to walk.

Eventually, Luke pulled up to a two-story house and parked.

Opening her door, Kodi grabbed her backpack. "Thanks for the ride, Luke," she told him.

"My pleasure, sweetheart. Thanks for your help, tonight," he smiled, kindly at her.

Before sliding out, Kodi scooted over, wrapping her arms around the guy. She squeezed him, tight as Luke held an arm around her waist. As they exchanging good-byes, Kodi slid out of the truck and hurried up to the front door.

Luke waited, making sure the kid got inside, safe and sound before turning the gear back into drive. Just as he was pulling away, he noticed Kodi's watch had come off her wrist and landed on the seat next to his leg. Turning the truck off, Luke slid out and made his way around the front and up to the front door.

He raised his hand to knock when it froze. Yelling and crying could be heard from inside as something, or _someone_ was being wailed on. Trying the door, Luke saw it was locked. So stepping backwards, he raised his foot and kicked it in before hurrying inside.

George was hovering over Kodi, who was laying on the floor, now with a swollen cheek. It was a wonder which guy looked more surprised. However, Luke didn't remain in surprise. Charging over, he raised a fist and let the guy have it, rage filling up inside.

Christa came flying in the room and flung herself between the men, protecting the other guy.

"Who the hell you think you are, coming in here?"

"Who the hell gives your husband the right to beat on a child?" Luke shot back.

George snarled at him. His words were slurred so Luke couldn't really understand what it was he said. It was apparent the man had a few beers in him. A pitiful moan grabbed his attention instead, so Luke turned to kneel by Kodi's side. She was barely conscious.

"Kodi? Can you hear me, sweetheart?"

She blinked a few times, but didn't say anything. A painful moan or two escaped, but that was about it.

Luke shot over at her parents. "Call 911!" he ordered them.

Some more slurred words came out. Since the guy hadn't moved, Luke took that as a no. Storming passed them, he went in search of a phone, dialling 911. The paramedics came right away, immediately pushing Luke out of the way so they could do their job.

Everything seemed to happen so fast. His heart was racing and a chill ran down his spine as Luke watched the paramedics check over the kid. With his mind on her, Luke wasn't sure what had happened to Kodi's parents. Later, he learned they had given the police a hard time, but eventually were taken into custody.

Luke followed the ambulance all the way to the hospital. It was hard to believe something like this had been going on without anyone's knowledge. How did this slip through even Miss Patty's gossip radar? Surely, there had to be some kind of sign. Then it came to him. The long sleeves even in the summer, the mysterious mark beside her eye she had been trying to hide. Why hadn't he pushed harder?

Things didn't get better at the hospital.

Since he wasn't a blood relative, the doctors and nurses couldn't tell Luke anything. Since Kodi kept asking for him, they let Luke go in to see her. The kid looked so vulnerable, lying there, hooked up to machines and bandaged up. Her shirt had been replaced with a hospital gown. From her wrist to the sleeves, he could see they were covered in bruises, both fresh and old. Her cheek was still swollen and her bottom lip was cut.

Quietly, Luke slowly made his way inside the room. "Hey, sweetheart," he managed to greet her just above a whisper.

Her head fell to the side, in response to his voice. The corners of her mouth lifted. "Lu...ke."

Luke made his way over to the other side of her bed, pulling a chair up beside her. He touched her arm as gentle as possible without causing any more pain, giving it a gentle squeeze. "How do ya feel?" As soon as that question escaped his mouth, Luke realized that was a dumb question.

"It…'s...o...kay," she managed to utter, her head had followed where Luke had sat down.

Luke forced a smile for the kid. It was difficult, considering the way she looked. His heart was tearing to pieces just from having to see her condition. "Why…? How come you never told me this was happening?"

Her eyes were half closed. Luke had at least overheard the doctors and nurses saying, it was a miracle Kodi was still alive, that she was hanging on by a thread. There had been too much trauma to her head and she had three broken ribs. If Kodi slipped into a coma that would it. But here she was.

"...I…" her voice was soft and hoarse. "...Wan...ted. I'm...sorry…"

He leaned in a little. "No, sweetheart. There's nothing you need to be sorry for. In fact I'm the one who should be apologizing."

Kodi only smiled.

Luke felt her hand pull from his and grab onto it.

"Th-thanks...Luke…" With one last breath, Kodi's eyes slowly closed. Her hand that was gripping his, fell back onto the bed, limp. The causal beeping from the heart monitor was now one loud sound as the zagged line straightened out.

"Kodi? Kodi?" Luke reached over and cupped the cheek that wasn't swollen. "Kodi?" The usually grumpy guy could feel his face grow hot as his eyes filled with tears. Never had he wanted to cry as much as he did, as Luke sat there, kicking himself for letting this happen as if it were his fault.

The doctors and nurses rushed in and Luke found himself being pushed from the room. Before he knew it, Luke was in his truck again, driving. No noise, not even the radio. In his pocket, he realized he still had Kodi's watch. It was the same watch Luke had given her for her birthday as that was what she wanted. Now thinking about it, it was probably the only birthday present the kid got for her birthday.

He pulled up and parked in front of Lorelai's house, catching Rory's car parked behind her jeep. Sliding out, Luke made his way up to the front door and rung the doorbell.

"Luke? Is everything okay?" Lorelai asked when she answered the door.

Luke stepped into the house and wrapped his arms around the woman, not saying a word. He just buried his face into her shoulder.

"Luke, what's wrong?" She held her arms around him.

Rory came over, wondering what was going on.

He never said anything. He just couldn't find the words, and even if he could, Luke was afraid he'd lose it in front of them. So instead, Luke just held onto Lorelai.

The End

 _ **So I've had this idea for about a month now, but wasn't sure whether or not to share it. I finally decided to just jump in and take a chance. Let me know what you think! It's just a short one-shot about Luke, partly based off of the song, "Concrete Angel", by Martina McBride.**_


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